**SPOILERS**
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| Google images: The main man, Mike. *fangirl intensifies* Okay, down to business... |
Last month, the Sony exclusive Until Dawn was released for PS4.
Developed by the aptly named Supermassive Games, Until Dawn has already generated a huge fan base of obsessed youngsters, who are pining for the next Pewdiepie play-through on YouTube as we speak.
So what is all the fuss about exactly?
Well firstly, as an interactive cinematic survival game, the fate of the cast is left up to the player, implementing a system called the Butterfly Effect.
Nothing really new there.
In the same vein as Telltales immensely popular Walking Dead series, the choices that you make in-game have an effect upon the rest of the narrative.
This interest in making difficult ethical decisions in-game has definitely increased over the last few years. Think of developer Quantic Dream's erratic drama Beyond: Two Souls, or Heavy Rain, or Telltales other famous series,
The Wolf Among Us.
Only in Until Dawn, the choices you make really do seem to have a clear effect upon the story.
The developer has stated that there are literally hundreds of different endings, depending on the blend of characters you manage to keep alive by the end of the game.
Whereas in the Walking Dead (although it was a fantastic piece of storytelling) the supposed choices you made simply didn't seem to matter, well, at all.
In the end, the player is always going down a very similar path as any other player and the fates of most characters are etched in stone.
Which is what I like about Until Dawn.
The choices you make have significant consequences and anyone can fall afoul of the things that go bump in the night, if you make the right (or wrong) move.
There are also numerous "Clues" and "Totems" scattered throughout the chapters that reveal details of the story to the player, thus adding a layer of depth to the story that would otherwise be absent.
I suppose that means Until Dawn possesses replay value.
But I'll hazard a guess and say that lot of people will probably opt to view an online walkthrough, instead of playing it all again.
In terms of the narrative, I personally liked the genre shift. From a typical 80's or 90's Slasher flick, to a creepy supernatural survival horror, this is something that doesn't really happen often in horror games, so it was interesting to see. However, the change in plot direction could have been pulled off much more masterfully. I certainly won't be the last to say that it felt like I was playing through two completely different games. (The character Dr Hill becomes particularly redundant as you reach the later chapters.)
Speaking of which, the characters are all the typical archetypes from bygone teen horror films.
The Jock, the Survivor Girl, the Bitch, the Blonde Bimbo, the Geek etc.
You know the drill.
Fans of Until Dawn have declared that the developer has produced a homage, which is why the stereotypes are present.
Although this may be the case, I did find the representation of women quite disconcerting, especially in a game where narrative is constantly morphing.
Sam is obviously set up as the lone female protagonist.
She is level-headed, resourceful and athletic to boot.
While Chris, Matt and Mike each have interesting quirks or strong, redemptive personality traits (even Josh has a characteristically crooked smile) with the exception of Sam, the other three girls don't possess equally admirable or distinct qualities.
Jessica quickly fades away and is reduced to the "hot" girl that needs saving.
Emily is the "alpha bitch". She is incessantly arrogant and rude to nearly everyone.
Despite Ashley showing occasional signs of character development, she more often than not collapses into a crying, blubbering mess and her connection to Chris is the strongest connection she has to the story-line.
The distribution of likable traits was uneven and made Ashley, Jess and Emily seem utterly expendable.
Albeit the dialogue for both male and female characters is pretty cliche-ridden and despite the incredible motion capture, the expressions of the characters do appear awkward during certain scenes, such as when somebody grimaces (they look like they are smiling rather cheerfully.)
All in all, I'll give Until Dawn a rating of:
6.5 out of 10.
